Vehicle-spring.



No. 675,634. Patented .luna 4, I90I.

J. P. LARSON. Y

VEHICLE SPRING.

(Application led DacA 19, 1900.)

(No Maciel.)

@ Q/QMZL aan 34a/u eM/cofz UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JACOB l". IARSON, OF NELSON, MINNESOTA.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,634, dated J' une 4, 1901.

Application filed December I9, 1900. Serial No. 40,421. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ 1071/0771, it 'n1/(ty concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB P. LARSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nelson, in the county of Douglas and State of Minneseta, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Spring, of which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicle-springs; and one object in view is to provide a supporting-spring which yieldingl y sustains the body in a condition to swing back and forth in the direction of its length and to give in a vertical direction, whereby the motion of the horse is minimized to a great extent and the comfort of the occupant of the vehicle correspondingly promoted.

A further object is to provide a strong and durable springsupport which has its members connected to the body in a peculiar way for the purpose of balancing the same and the load therein.

Further objects and advantagesof the invention will appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty in the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts will be deiined by the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a bob-sleigh equipped with the one form of spring-support for the body as contemplated by my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail rear elevation of a part of the body and a part of the spring, illustrating the means employed by me for connecting said parts. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a slightly different form of construction.

The same numerals are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

For the purposes of this specification I will describe my device as constituting the support for the body of a sleigh; but I wish it to be distinctly understood that my spring is designed for the support of a vehicle-body of any character whatsoever.

The body 5 of the vehicle-as, for instance, a cutter or sleighis equipped with the usual dashboard and one or more seats for the accommodation of the occupants, said body being of any usual or preferred construction. In the drawings I have shown the body supported upon the front bob 6 and the rear bob '7 by a supporting-spring embodying my present improvements. It is customary to connect the front and rear bobs byl an intermediate reach, (indicated by the numeral 8,) and to the front bob is also connected the draft appliance 9. No novelty for these parts is claimed in this application, and the bobs, the reach, and the draft appliance may be of the usual construction. On each side of the sleigh is provided one of my improved supporting-springs, the same consisting of a bottorn member l0 and a top member 1l. Each member consists of a series of layers applied or united laterally together to reinforce one another, and each member of the spring is curved in the direction of its length, substantially as shown by Fig. 1 of the drawings. The curved members of the spring are adjusted to meet one another substantially at the middle portion of the spring-support, and said curved members are arranged in reversed order, so that the end portions of the parts will diverge laterally. The meeting middle portions of the reversely-curved spring members rest flat against each other and are joined together by the employment of a suitable number of clips l2 or other suitable means which will firmly hold them together. The divergent ends of the upper and lower spring members are connected by means of bowed springs and links, and the body is secured to these'connections. In the form shownin Figs. l and 2 thisis accomplished by having the end portions of the lower spring member l0 curved or bowed upwardly, as at 13, and the free eX- tremity of each bowed portion depending and deiiected or bent, as at 14E, so as to cleara hanger which connects the contiguous terminals of the spring members to the body. The ends of said bowed portions are arranged directly beneath the ends of the upper member 1l, and said ends are connected' by links 19, which are pivotally secured th ereto. The body is supported upon the springs preferably in the following manner: Arms 17 extend transversely across and are rigidly secured to the under side of the body. These arms project beyond the sides of the same and are formed into oppositely-arranged pairs of hangers 15 and 1G, disposed, respectively, near the front and rear ends of the body. Each hanger is extended or offset laterally from the side of the vehicle-body, and to it are pivoted, as at IOO spring member at points intermediate of the length thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the upper spring member is connected at its vends to the links near the front and rear ends of the body, and the lower spring member is fastened to the front and rear bobs, the bowed ends of said lower spring member being pivotally connected to the hangers that unite the body and the lower' spring member to the upper spring 11 through the intermediate links. rIlhe described arrangement of the members constituting the spring-support and the employment of the links Qbetween the body and the ends of the upperspring memberimpartacertain amount ofresiliency to the body 5, which is thus sus- Jtained to vibrate in a vertical direction and to be capable of a limited amount of movement in the direction of it-s length. The employment of the links between the free ends of the members which form the supporting-spring imparts the desired longitudinal movement to the sleigh or other vehicle body, while the form and arrangement of said spring members allow the body to have the desired vibration in a vertical direction. The deflected exten* sion 14 of the bowed end portions on the lower spring member secures the attachment of the links to said ends 14 at points below the pivotal connection of the body to the upturned ends of the spring member 1l. This construction of the spring member 10 and the attachment of Ithe parts in the manner recited is advantageous, because the body may be balanced to good advantage on the spring-support.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a slightly diiferent form of construction, which provides a support of a more yielding nature than that above described. In this form the usual bottom and top Spring members 10 and 11 are provided; but instead of providing the lower memberwith the prolonged upwardly-extending portions both members are of substantially the same length, being secured together at their centers and having outwardly-divergent portions, the ends of the lower being directly beneath `those of the upper member. The bowed-spring connections in this form are in the form of separate springs 13a. These springs 13a are of the same configuration as the end portions 13, (shown in Fig. 1,) being provided with the depending and olfset upper ends 14a, that are pivotally connected to the ends of the upper member and to the vehiclebody by means of the links 19 and the hangers 16, respectively, as before described. The lower ends of the springs 13a are secured to the axles by means of clips 21a 22a, the shanks of which pass through said springs. Fastened to the axles by means of the same-clips that secure the springs 13 are brackets 24, to which are pivotally connected the ends of the lower member lO by means of the links 25. By this last form of construction it will be seen that the body is supported in exactly the Same manner as in the first-described form; but the links 25 will permit free longitudinal movement of the ends of the lower member 10, which member will therefore be more yieldingly supported than in the first-mentioned form.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the hereindeseribed invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art with` out furtherdescription, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape,

proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a lower spring member, an upper spring member fastened 'at or about its center flat upon the lower spring member, the two spring members diverging in opposite directions from their point of attachment to each other, a bowedspring and link connection between the ends of the two members, and means for connecting the body of the vehicle to the bowed-spring and link connection.

2. The combination with a lower spring member, of an upper spring member fastened at or about its center to the lower springmember, the two spring members diverging in opposite directions from their point of attachment to each other, and bowed springs connected at their lower ends to the ends of the lower spring member and having a link connection at their opposite ends with the upper spring member, and means connecting the body of the vehicle to said bowed-spring and link connections.

3. The combination of a supporting spring member secured intermediate its ends, bowed springs secured at their lower ends and having their upper ends arranged contiguous to the opposite ends of the supporting spring member, links pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the ends of the supporting spring and bowed springs respectively, and a body pivotally connected to said springs at their connected ends.

4. The combination with a lower spring member, of an upper spring member fastened at or contiguous to its center to the lowerl spring member, bowed-sprin g connections be; tween the ends of the two spring members, the ends of the upper spring member being IOO IIO

connected to the contiguous ends of the bowed springs by means of pivotal links, and a body having a pivotal connection with the upper ends of said bowed springs and with the ends of the pivotal links.

5. The combination with a lower spring member, of an upper spring member fastened at or about its center to the lower spring member, the two spring members diverging in opposite directions from their point of attachment 'to each other, bowed springs secured at or contiguous to their lower ends, pivotal links secured at or contiguous to the lower ends of the bowed springs and connected to the ends of the lower spring member, links pivotally connecting the upper ends of the bowed springs and the ends of the upper spring member, and means for securing a Vehicle-body to the upper ends of the upper spring member and the connecting-links thereof.

G. The combination with a lower spring member, of an upper spring member fastened at or aboutits center tothe lower spring member, the two spring members diverging in opposite directions from their point of attachment to each other, bowed springs rigidly secured contiguous to their lower ends, pivotal links secured at or contiguous to the lower ends of the bowed springs and connected to the ends of the lower spring member, links pivotally connecting the upper ends of said bowed springs and the ends ofthe upper spring member, and hangers secured to the vehicle-body near the front and rear ends thereof, said hangers being pivotally connected to the ends ot' the upper spring member and the connectin g-links thereof.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB I. LAR-SON. lVitnesses:

C. Il. LnnsoN, L. C. HANsoN. 

